Guy on train, after pokin’ around, trying to find a place to put a dollar while I’m singing: “That was just a test”
Me: “A test?”
Guy: “A test, to see if you’d stop or keep singing”
Me: “Haha – I never stop unless you have a gun, a walkie & a badge” đź™‚

So – I’m siting on the uber-crowded #1 train, headed uptown to Harlem to busk & this guy, in jeans & a sweatshirt, is standing by the pole in the middle of the train. His head is bobbing left-right-left-right & I hear what sounds like the faint crunching noise of a walkie-talkie. ( I can spot that noise a mile away) ME: “Is that I walkie-talkie I hear?” I said to the guy in the jeans. “Uh…Uh-huh” he whispered, half under his breath as if he had not wanted me to ask but instead to just go away. ME: “Are you a cop?” I said louder this time. His head bobbed back & forth faster now & nodded yes to me in between bobs. ME: (quite loudly this time) “Well, you should really turn that thing down, or get a different system or something, or else everyone will know you’re a cop!” The undercover cop shrunk down into his sweatshirt as if he wished he could just disappear. The train doors opened & shot the formerly, totally in control cop a huge smile as I hopped off onto the platform đź™‚ #ows

Ran into Danny @ Times Square last evening. We both set up on different ends of the platform, he on the coveted #1 spot, me on the 2nd choice, and after about 20 minutes I packed up & came over to hang out with him before deciding on my next location…

Me:”Hey Danny its kinda slow down here, even with all these people…how come?’

Danny “The President’s in town & he’s got all them po-lice with him” he spouted with his thick South Carolina accent, putting all the emphasis on the “po’ when he spoke the word “police”. “Those po-lice they suck up all the energy.”

Today Obama is town to raise money & although the NYPD considers me a serious threat to National Security when I’m singing in the subway, I’ll be singing anyway. It’s what I do, it’s who I am. It’s my job, my life, just like yours, Mr President, is running the country I making this a better, safer, more joyous America for us all…

On that note – if I had three minutes with The president I’d beg him to turn the course the country is on around before it’s too late. I’d remind him that countries have notoriously followed our lead and all we stand for; freedom, democracy, that ‘anything’s possible’ attitude America’s been built on, but all of what we stand for is fast being eroded.

I’d then show him the photos of what he allowed to go on in LA & Philadelphia last night, the same thing he’s allowed to happen here at our Occupy Camp here in New York on the 15th. I’d have a copy of the US Constitution in my hand and remind him of the Amendments that allow peaceful assembly and freedom of speech – both of which are being violated daily here in America

Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Image

Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Image

Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Image

Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Image

Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Image

I’d then beg him, with all my heart to use this $35,000 a plate dinner he’s hosting to raise the consciousness of those who will listen in an attempt to please not pass the bill that’s currently being voted on on the Senate Floor:

The United States Senate is set to vote this week on a bill that would categorize the entire USA as a â€śbattlefield,â€ť allowing law enforcement duties to be dished out by the American Military, who in turn could detain any US citizen as a war criminal â€” even coming into their own homes to issue arrests.

The National Defense Authorization Act regularly comes before Congress for changes and additions, but the latest provision, S. 1867, proves to be the most powerful one yet in raping constitutional freedoms from Americans. Move over, Patriot Act. Should S. 1867 pass, lawmakers could conjure the text to keep even regular citizens detained indefinitely by their own military.

Please help the 99% Mr President. We are your people, we are you, we are your children, we are your vote. Please help us be free & you will need no fundraising as we will be behind you – instinctively

That’s what I’d say if I had 3 minutes with The President – but I probably won’t, I’ll instead sing & run the very real risk of having way more than 3 minutes with the NYPD

If you have a few minutes – please contact your Senators & urge them to oppose these outrageous provisions. The time to do is is short but we can, as you’ve seen with the Occupy Movement now in 1000 cities, make a difference if we all speak up, in unison for what we want.

“It takes 12 years to ‘educate’ an American, to teach them how War & a mindset of ‘lack’ & not enough for all has ruled the planet for centuries. After 12 years of going over the ‘facts’ you are sent to “Institutions” of ‘higher learning’ where more details of ‘the way it is’ are cemented into your still pliable brain. After that, no longer free to think for yourself about any other earth other than what you have been taught, yet inaugurated now as an ‘acceptable’ citizen’ you are deemed an American, fit to follow rules & comply – this system must change.” ~Heidi Kole #ows

I kind of thought the trains would be empty of cops with all the Occupying going on above ground – ha! Dream on Heidi.Â It appears they’ve hired more cops! I said to one of the officers after the eviction of Zuccotti Park; “You guys seem to multiply in front of our eyes. It’s like you’re breeding i real time. It’s nuts!” Luckily, he had a sense of humour.

Two days ago I went to 59th to do what I do, sing & make folks smile & dance & two rookie cops (you can tell they’re new ’cause they’re young, they always walk in pairs and their uniforms are all sparkly & shiny) spotted me from across the train tracks and changed their normal slow saunter up a few notches to a jog.

A ‘jog’? Seriously? I’m singing, not mugging someone.

I watched as the two rookies bounded up the stairs knowing they were excited to come and ticket me as it would show their supervisor that they were ‘on point’. Little did they know I knew what was up. I had seen them see me even though they didn’t know I’d seen them. (Get that? đź™‚ And somehow I managed to pack up my guitar, amp, books, CD’s, patch cords, mic and guitar case onto my huge dolly all in under 30 seconds. Before the two cop’s feet hit my side of the platform I was sitting on the bench, blending in with all the other commuters, chatting away as if nothing was amiss.

I waited. Soon the two cops jogged over to where I’d been singing just moments before & watched as they turned around a few times, mumbled to each other, dawned a baffled look and went back to their slow saunter patrolling the 59th St Platform, I suppose trolling for more ‘terrorist musician’ types

I disliked having to stop making people happy but I really enjoyed outsmarting the NYPD đź™‚

Then yesterday, we at Occupy Wall St took it up a few notches. Two nights before, Mayor Bloomberg (or Emperor Bloomberg as we often now call him here in NYC) let his dogs loose on us and raided Zuccotti Park between the hours of 1 & 3 AM – arresting and kicking everyone out & lining up blocks of Sanitation Trucks into which he had they trashed all the Occupier’s belongings, including the most coveted “People’s Library” full of fabulous donated books for anyone to read at any time. The timing, one day before our next big rally was not lost on anyone. Perhaps he believed it would squash the movement but, as history has shown many times throughout this movement,Â it accomplished the complete opposite. As the #OWS says “Arrest one and two more will come”

Fast forward 48 hours, the turn out at Foley Square was beyond huge. After a relatively bloody & violent morning with over 200 arrests and one protester having his head bashed into the sidewalk by the NYPD, knocking out his teeth, over 30,000 protesters rallied at Foley Square in Lower Manhattan then marched to the Brooklyn Bridge. the crowd was enormous. It was freezing out there as the wind whipped in and out of the tall office buildings of Lower Manhattan. However, being surrounded by so many eager, hopeful and light bearing souls was magical. I marched with elderly women with canes and walkers, parents with one, two, and three children in tow and Doctors supporting the 99%. There was every race, colour, age, language you can imagine represented last night.

People have their opinions of what the Occupy Movement looks like – let me tell you it’s all of us. No matter who you are. It’s everyone.

30K Marchers #OWS – Photo Frank Vacine

There was also a fabulous light show that entertained us on the side of the Verizon Building as we marched …Stay creative, stay peaceful, stay loving <3 #OWS